Croatia

It's all the rage these days in travel magazines and websites and after spending a week in Croatia, I totally get why. Tourists are flocking by the thousands to this Slavic-speaking country to see what all the hype is about. Though we had wished we could spend more time there in order to visit some of the nearby islands, we had time only to explore two major cities: Split and Dubrovnik.

Split is a seaside town along the Adriadic Sea (known as the Dalmatian Coast). The actual city's core is made up of an ancient and crumbling Palace. The town itself is still adjusting to the country's newfound fame, but the views are absolutely spectacular. In fact, I would say that flying down to the runway on a clear day supplied us with the most striking view from above of any Mediterranean town we had visited. Split has become a prime location for sailors and motor boaters alike who are seeking less-crowded European waters.

But the must-see city hands down is Dubrovnik. It's hard to believe that Croatia was engaged in a bitter war just 12 years ago. The most striking locale is the walled-off medieval city, still inhabited by those who endured the attack by the Yugoslavs. We walked the entire perimeter of the city from atop the walls and got a good sense of what the city was like, marveling at how well it has recovered in just a few short years. We caught the Summer Festival, which brings in crowds from all over the world. In fact, we were surprised by how many fellow Americans were there on vacation.

I think our brief visit was enticing enough to whet our appetite. With the added benefit of a favorable exchange rate, we plan to return to Croatia to see some of the surrounding islands (perhaps by boat) and to follow up on the progress already made on a fairly recent war-torn region.